The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-08-11
RALEIGH, N. C/AUGUsT IL, 1887.
bring about changes by their own

bring about changes by their own
efforts.
1t is gratifying to see the interest
that is manifested in several of the
Southern States. While the farmers
have been organized in several of the
Northern States for number of years,
it has never amounted to much; but
more recently it begun here in the
South, and today Texas boasts of her
two hundred thousand members
Louisiana fifty thousand, and every
Southern State is enlisting her thou
sands While we organize by town
ships and counties and do some good,
we can never do all that is needed
without State and National organi-
zation.l Such an organization will
eventually be the result. or zaaI
While other States have caught the
spirit and are making such commenda-
BILE efforts in behalf of the great issue
Of the day, let North Carolina do her
part, and old Iredell, that is never be-
hind IN any good thing that she is call
ed on to do, wake up. Several hundred
of her farmers have enrolled let as
many more enlist.
The meeting at the court house and
the township gatherings can be made
interesting and profitable by discussing
the manner of cultivating the different
kinds of crops, when and where to
seed, and in what shape to market the
products Of the farm
If the farmers Of North Carolina
had been we'll organized fifteen years
ago they and their farms would to-day
be worth fifty per cent. more than they
are. There is a class of farmers in
north Iredell, Davie, Yadkin and
Wilkes counties who have been for
the last fifteen years clearing annually
fields for tobacco and grain which
could be grown on them for a few
years without fertilizers. This class
of farmers have destroyed enough
valuable timber of different kinds by
burning it in log piles to have paid for
building a railroad from Statesville to
this point if they had been convenient
to market for it. This class Of farm
ers will have to learn to farm differ
emily and stop such obstruction of the
forest.
There is another class of farmers
that reminds one of the adage, "Dis-
tance lends enchantment to the view. ="
Because they could buy fertilizers on
time they made the venture and the
result in many instances was that the
crop would not pay the fertilizer bill.
Many of these farmers own consid-
erable herd of cattle which is allowed
to roam at large, stay in some old field
at night, when if they were herded
and the excrements every morning
throw in pen kept covered, protect.
ing it from the sun and rain, it would
greatly reduce their bill for fertilizers.
We need farmers who can reclaim
our barren fields and make them pro-
ductive, and this with homemade fer
tilizers. ......e. ....-........ ........
The farmers should organize manu-
featuring companies, uniting their sur
plus capital and manufacturing their
farming utentils from our native
woods. If ours would meet together
and discuss all these measures aud
buy more good books and papers and
read them, we.would soon see change.
We would see more extensive farming,
more stock raised and better stock.
Our people would become better in
formed and not be SO easily taken in
by every dead head swindler and ped
dler that comes along. And last but
not least, the agriculturists, interest
demands some legialation. Let the
farmers discuss among themselves
what laws they need to protect their
interest and in a body petition our leg
islators for what they need and they
will be sure to get them.
e. E SMITH.
Settle, N. c., July 21, 1887.
SUICIDE OF A RECKLESS MAN.